with The Diesel Combustion Orchestra at Open Ears, Blue Nile, NOLA-2/10/2015

Playing Tuesday 10th of February at Open Ears with Dan Oestreicher's outfit.  Groove creative under the fiery drive of Dan- in town for a bit from endless touring with Trombone shorty.  Dan has put together a group some of the most interesting and distinguished musicians from across a couple of scenes.

The lineup is:

Dan Oestreicher- bass and bari saxophones (trombone shorty)
Roger Lewis-Baritone, soprano saxes
Steve Glenn-Tuba
Oops-Bass drum(soul rebels)
Doug Garrison-drums/percussion
Jonathan Freilich-guitar
 

The show is upstairs at the Blue Nile. For more info on the open ears music series...

I'm looking forward to this greatly! You'd be nuts to miss this, one week out from carnival and all that!

at The Ogden after hours series

I'll be playing a set of originals with the quartet at The Ogden Museum on 925 Camp St. in the main hall.  The gig has an interesting format and, I will be interviewed halfway through so if you come and have pressing questions, we could get to them there.

You will at least witness Doug Garrison on drums and James Singleton on bass. 

Showtime is from 6-8pm.

For more information click here...

Naked Orchestra at Cafe Istanbul, NOLA this Monday- 1/19/2015

The Naked Orchestra will play again at the site of the band's recent return to action. Another very solid lineup of some of the finest in New Orleans.  "Not to be missed!"  exclaimed a previous audience before loosening it all up and heading out into the streets.

So far the lineup is as follows:

James Walsh-conductor
Janna Saslaw-Flute
Chris Kohl-Clarinet
Steve Bertram-Bassoon
Martin Krusche-soprano sax
Ray Moore-Alto sax
Brad Walker- Tenor sax
Jason Mingeldorff-Baritone sax
Scott Frock-trumpet
Jeff Albert-trombone/ electronics
Devon Taylor-tuba
Carl LeBlanc-guitar
Jonathan Freilich-guitar/director
Robin Sherman-bass
Marcello Bennetti-drums

feat. Alex McMurray-vocals

Naked Orchestra at Istanbul Sept. 2014

New Organisms- P3+ closing event party at Tigermen Den. Video Installation-Shawn hall/ sound-Jonathan Freilich

I've been quite involved with this video installation for which I've provided sound.  It's my first involvement in something like this in New Orleans.  Swing by and take a look.

There is a closing party at the gallery where it can be viewed on Thursday 15, Jan 2015.  From 7-10pm.  And there's refreshments!

Part 3 of Audio interview with Geoffrey Douville of Egg Yolk Jubilee is up

Long overdue- the penultimate section of interview by New Orleanian, Geoffrey Douville, pictured below with the banjo marching with Egg Yolk Jubilee.

Geoff goes on to describe the relationship and impact of his film practices to his musical thinking.  This segment goes very heavily into things he likes in film creativity. it's on the interviews page, here...

Part 2 of audio interview/ conversation with Geoffrey Douville of Egg Yolk Jubilee

Jeff Douville marching with Egg Yolk Jubilee

In this segment, Geoff goes on to discuss his involvements with film, more on Danny Barker, New Orleans Rhythm and Blues performer/ audience relationships in music and a handful of other interesting subjects.

Take a listen- get involved in some more sides of the New Orleans music world of today and the past!

The Interview can be found on the interviews page, here...

First part of interview with Geoffrey Douville, guitarist with Egg Yolk Jubilee is up!

The interviews are back after a long layoff.  Find out about a great local musical artist and one of the whackier bands from the 90s.  Also, films, politics and bar-owning.

Geoff Douville is an interesting and alive mind.  I went to talk with him using the Egg Yolk Jubilee as a jumping off point.  Egg Yolk showed up on my radar in the early 90's and they had a mad frantic style and were composed of some very expressive locals and, of course, featured Jeff playing electric guitar in a style not so commonly heard in the directions that they seemed to be headed.  Then I found out about his fascinating film work with Paul Grass.  He's also an owner of the Lost Love Lounge in the Marigny neighborhood in New Orleans.

Jeff is very good at elucidating opinions and he is one of the few folks amidst the list of interviewees that is really from New Orleans, not transplanted. There is an interesting long view about the city, and its art and music world that seems to emerge from that perspective.

Part 1 of the interview is here...

Playing with Dave Capello Trio at Open Ears this Tuesday

Dave Capello, Helen Gillet, my Chip Wilson seven string at open ears

I'll be playing with the Dave Capello Trio this Tuesday the 14th of October at 10pm upstairs at The Blue Nile at 532 Frenchmen St. New Orleans.  COME OUT AND CHECK IT OUT!

Dave Capello is one of the most unusual drummers in town.  There is a reason; a background of very interesting radical theater and music situations in New York and Kansas City before his move to New Orleans 20 years ago.  I interviewed Dave a few years ago.  Surprising stuff. If you are interested in music ideas and where they come from and whether your ears are as open as you hoped you can check out the interview here...

Jeff Albert's Open Ears series has really become an event, over the years, for those still driven by music and sound.  The fact that it goes on amidst the grotesque and never ending cheapening of Frenchmen St. makes it even more of a diamond in the rough.  

This show will feature songs from the bassist, Cecile and Dave is trying to get me to do the same.  She has a wild and varied background on the Chicago music scene including long stints with Fred Anderson and Famodou Don Moye (Legends everybody- google it- get involved in what goes in your ears! Ditch the complacent attitude!))  She sings really nice.

Oh yes- improvisation will occur for those of you enraptured by this central of all music language developments.  There will be also elements of some other lines in music thinking.

Tonight with Sarah Quintana and others at Siberia 10pm

Tonight at Siberia with a wild lineup. The Fool Moon people!!!

Interview appearance on It's New Orleans radio show

The "It's New Orleans" radio show had me on to talk for their Happy Hour Show, which is a weekly live recorded show at The Wayfare restaurant on Freret.  It was an entertaining hour.  I even sang a song- very rare to put my voice on the air.

The talk was interesting.  The other interviewees were artist and storyteller, Marie Lovejoy, musician, Andrew Duhon, and film-maker Russell Blanchard.  Interesting conversation ensued.

Check out the show here...

Tribute to Tim Green w/ Johnny Vidacovich, James Singleton, Rex Gregory, Jonathan Freilich-At Snug Harbor Sept 28

Sadly, a major loss to the New Orleans music community happened a few weeks ago with the passing of saxophonist Tim Green.  He was to be on this show!

So come out, tomorrow night- Sept. 27th at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen St. 2 Shows 8 &10pm!

Tim was so important to my own musical development early on that kit is hard to put into words. There are luckily recordings of him playing with myself as well as all the others on this show at snug harbor.

This promises to be a great sunday evening of music.  

Johnny Vidacovich-drums
Rex Gregory-woodwinds
James Singleton-bass
Jonathan Freilich-guitar

playing tonight. Hi-Ho lounge

new group.  good stuff.

with

Dave Capello-drums

Devon Taylor- Tuba

Jonathan Freilich-guitar

expect a lot of me and a lot of monk

Weekly Monday at Gasa Gasa Continues

Tomorrow from 8-10pm at Gasa Gasa

4920 Freret St

Paul Thibodeaux on drums

Devon Taylor-tuba

Jonathan Freilich-guitar

Devon is a really talented young tuba player I met in California who moved to New Orleans recently.  I think he'll fit right in.  Come check it out.  The acoustics are great. Last week was a blast.  The Panorama Jazz Band follows us. They are somethin' else!

New Orleans Klezmer All Stars show tomorrow night: "Mean" Willie Green on drums

Tomorrow night at the Little Gem Saloon 

New Orleans Klezmer All Stars for the last gig of the weekend out for the jazzfest stretch.  If you haven't been there yet.  Things have been unusual and interesting (read exciting if you need more positive detail) at both the jazzfest slot and at the Hi Ho lounge.  

Tomorrow will be no slouch as we return with our old drummer Willie Green (The Neville brothers,  Bob Dylan and other minor figures, etc.) If you haven't ever seen him play yiddish music, you are only familiar with a few of his dimensions as an innovative musical contributor.  Get out there for it! Together we are a fascinating New Orleans/World music machine.

New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars performances for tomorrow

Jazzfest-Our musical offerings for  start tomorrow, Friday April 25th.  2:50pm at the Fais do-do stage.  A great slot for hot klezmer fun in the sun!

Following that-we will be at The Hi Ho lounge on St. Claude Ave.  The show starts at 10pm and it's a double bill with the unperturbable Iguanas.  They have a new record and we have a new item for your digital devices as well.

our sets will feature the following local/global all-stars:

Ben Ellman-sax

Dave Rebeck-violin

Glenn Hartman-accordion

Joe Cabral-bass

Matt Perrine- trombone

Stanton Moore- drums

Jonathan Freilich- guitar

With Klezmer All Stars Duo-Germany for 5 shows- Berlin, Kiel, Schönberg, Neuestadt, Celle

Playing Kaffee Burger, Berlin on March 20th with Glenn Hartman- accordion.  

In case you are in Berlin or are interested...

(Also those more obscure shows)

Also playing in Kiel Germany on the 22nd of March

Appearing tonight with The James Singleton Quartet

tonight at chickie wah wah, canal st. (New Orleans)

around 10pm.

james singleton- bass

johnny vidacovich-drums

rex gregory- sax

jonathan freilich- guitar

this is one not to miss.

The sagacious, genius, unpredictibilities of James and Johnny. The weighted spritelinesses of Rex Gregory in creative moods. And me somewhere in the amorphous and great unknown- some sort of mid-riff.

what I'm driving at here, is killer music!  

Of interest: The Yossarian society

Here is an interesting website.

There is a new society being birthed.  Concerned with a number of things I would think, but right now the site has a good deal of focus on the plague of folks that would distract you from anything of actual importance in New Orleans, by endlessly attempting to suggest that sound ordinances are somehow a mark of great civilization- more than the culture of music!?!?!  

View fullsize

What can be said...Katrina courted throngs of people that have no idea and have fallen prey to some rich maniacs and carpetbaggers who are attempting to gain vast long term control over the profit systems in New Orleans.  But, it's surely the old Louisiana political story:  a new pipeline to fly high volumes of cash into a few local old pockets under the guise of renewal and a few beads for the new masses caught in the excitement.

Anyway, this mysterious

Yossarian Society

sheds more light than this brief rant-ette.

For instance, the Society says this... 

"Yossarian is entry level anarchism.

We like anarchism if it is funny. When it is a challenge, like Emma Goldman, not so much. So let’s try to start with some funny.

Yossarian’s philosophy is a first step. What happens when the Governing Caste slips its anchor? Yossarian pokes it in the eye."

     ...Can't be bad...who, after all, didn't get the tragic truths of 'Catch-22'.  If Heller could only see this world!

Alison Fensterstock, Times Picayune article connects to the interviews

Piety St. Studios will be shutting its doors shortly.  Mark Bingham talks about it in this article... 

The Mark Bingham interview referenced and another, earlier one are available on the interviews page...